8 hacks to city-living problems

There are some serious drawbacks to living in a big city. While you have the benefits of being in the center of all the excitement that it has to offer, you also get the noise, the smells, and the high rent that forces you to compromise on your apartment choice. But living downtown doesn't have to be as hard as it seems. We rounded up eight of the most common city living frustrations and showed you how to hack your way around them. Whether you just moved or have been dealing with these issues for years, we're sure we'll have some solution to make your life a little easier.

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Problem: You live on a busy street and can’t fall asleep at night.

Courtesy of Homedics

Hack: If you can't afford to invest in better windows, invest in a white noise machine to counter the street noise or wear ear plugs at night.

2/

Problem: Your kitchen and bathroom are prone to bug and vermin infestations.

Courtesy of BNYD

Hack: Prevent any pests from coming inside by keeping your apartment airtight. In the kitchen, keep fruits and veggies in your fridge, use storage bins for cereal, and never leave any dishes in your sink overnight. In the bathroom, don't leave any puddles of standing water and check for leaky pipes.

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Problem: You don’t have a washer/dryer in your apartment building.

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Hack: If you are unable to install a laundry unit into your space, you're unfortunately going to have to find another option. First, see if any friends nearby have one and are willing to let you use it. If you're lucky enough to have multiple offers, set up a rotation so you won't be bothering anyone too much. If not, weigh out the prices of your local laundromat and wash-and-fold cleaners. To avoid spending too much on dry cleaning, use a special dryer sheet like Dryel, which lets you clean up to five dry clean-only items in a thirty minute cycle. Seriously. You will never have to pay to have your silks cleaned again.

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Problem: Your apartment doesn't have a dishwasher or room to have one installed.

Hack: Buy a solid dish rack and prepare to get really good arms. To speed up drying time, we suggest using a microfiber dish towel for better absorption.

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Problem: Your kitchen doesn’t have an oven.

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Hack: Although you might not be able to host a Thanksgiving dinner, a toaster oven is a surprisingly solid alternative. Make sure to purchase one with two racks to cook multiple dishes at once.

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Problem: You don’t have a closet in your entire apartment.

Emily Orpin/Flickr

Hack: Consider your lack of closet space a blessing in disguise. All the cool girls put their clothes on an exposed rack these days anyway. Invest in some solid drawers and use stowaway boxes to put your shoes or bags underneath your bed. If you're feeling creative, you can even build a closet unit.

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Problem: You live up a four-floor walk up and can’t imagine carrying all your groceries up the stairs.

Lonny

Hack: A surprising amount of grocery stores offer delivery! Either use apps like Instacart, or find a local store that can do the heavy lifting for you.

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Problem: You don’t have a doorman and can’t safely receive packages at your home.